Cheryl Hines hosts Sarasota Film Festival Awards program

Actress Cheryl Hines, featured in the film "Pasadena," served as host for the Sarasota Film Festival's annual awards program. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN

Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan took the top narrative feature prize at the 2013 Sarasota Film Festival for his third film "Laurence Anyways" about the the relationship between a man and his girlfriend after he decides to live his life as a transsexual. Dolan previously was represented at the Sarasota festival with his film "I Killed My Mother." His latest film stars Melvil Poupaud as Laurence and Suzanne Clement as Fred. Clement won a world cinema award from the film festival at a luncheon on Friday.

It was the final award announced during a program hosted Saturday night by actress Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Suburgatory"), who was in Sarasota for a screening of the film "Pasadena," in which she stars with Peter Bogdanovich.

The narrative competition jury also awarded a special prize for creative achievement to Eliza Hittman, director of "It Felt Like Love."

In the documentary competition, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson's film "After Tiller," about the impact on abortion and abortion rights after the murder of Dr. George Tiller, took the top prize, while jurors awarded a special prize for direction to Benjamin Greene for "Survival Prayer."

Jurors in the Independent Visions category gave the top prize to Matthew Johnson's "The Dirties," about two high school film lovers who are bullied by their classmates and fantasize about different forms of revenge. A special award for artistic accomplishment was given to Chad Hartigan, director of "This is Martin Bonner."

Actress Mickey Sumner, one of the stars of Noah Baumbach's film "Frances Ha," the Sarasota Film Festival's official closing night movie, introduces the film. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN

Audiences at the festival vote after each screening to determine awards in four categories. The audience award for best narrative feature went to "The Forgotten Kingdom" by Andrew Mudge. The best documentary feature was "Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde," directed by Suzanne Mitchell. Director Derek Watson won the audience award for best short film for "This is Normal," and Ken Loach was honored with the best in world cinema for his feature "The Angel's Share."

The awards preceded the screening of the closing night film "Frances Ha," by acclaimed director Noah Baumbach, whose previous films include "The Squid and the Whale." The film was introduced by actress Mickey Sumner, one of the stars, who received the festival's Breakthrough Performer Award for her role as Sophie.

Jay Handelman

Jay Handelman is the theater and television critic for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where he has worked since 1984. He also is President of the Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association and a two-time past chairman of the association's executive committee. He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4931. Follow him at @jayhandelman on Twitter. Make sure to "Like" Arts Sarasota on Facebook for news and reviews of the arts.

Last modified: April 13, 2013
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